RNCC Interview: Michael Ramirez and Paul Shanklin

On the last evening of the convention, I did my final interview with Rhod Sharp of the BBC. I appeared on the Beeb all four evenings, usually with another personality. On Monday, it was John Nichols of The Nation, who was a charming man that made the debate interesting. Wednesday, I had to compete with the legendary Dave Barry, the Miami Herald columnist and humorist whom I’d met for the first time the night before at the James Lileks party — and who, by the way, is even nicer than you’d imagine and as spontaneously funny as he is in his columns.

Last night, I wondered who would upstage me on the final night, and I wasn’t disappointed. Paul Shanklin, the master of voices on the Rush Limbaugh show, stole the entire segment with his deadly impersonations. Afterwards, he introduced me to one of my favorite people in punditry — IBD’s senior editor and two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Michael Ramirez. I invited them to appear on our AM 1280 The Patriot show during the convention’s prime time, and they must have lost a bet, because they arrived while the PUMAs were talking with us:

I’ve interviewed Michael a few times in the past, and I hope to do so often in the future. I’ve followed his work for years; he and Chris Muir are the two people who make me wish I had a talent for drawing in any form. Mitch and I could not keep from laughing at Paul’s antics, which probably is quite unprofessional for radio hosts, but neither of us really cared by this point, and I doubt you’ll object, either.

Michael has a new book coming out in October, Everyone Has the Right to My Opinion: Investor’s Business Daily Pulitzer Prize-Winning Editorial Cartoonist. It will be published on October 5th, but readers can order this collection of Ramirez’ conservative wit now at Amazon, which I have already done. Shanklin provides listeners in the video with some real motivation to see this book sell well. I’d suggest placing your order now.

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